Shadows at Sunrise
by AtTheBreakOfDay
Summary: Lorule's Triforce has been restored and the kingdom is thriving. Princess Hilda should be thrilled. But when that cult in Thieves' Town turns out to be more than just a masked squad of anarchists saying "mumbo jumbo", Hilda and Ravio will face the greatest threat that Lorule has ever encountered.
1. The Purple Shadow

The morning sun rose over Lorule, bathing its cliffs and fields with a soft dawn light. The light streamed through the ornate windows of Princess Hilda's bedchamber in Lorule Castle, covering her while she slept. With a yawn, she sat up in bed, blinking sleep away, and turned to see Ravio still asleep beside her.

They were married not long after the restoration of Lorule's Triforce at the hands of Link and Princess Zelda of Hyrule. With the impossible task of reuniting Lorule's people thrust upon her, Hilda had been desperate for someone to go to when she needed help. She hadn't needed to look far; Ravio had been there for her, as he had always been. It was then that she realized she loved him, and not much later, they were married. It had been the first sign that Lorule could be healed.

Lorule certainly was in much better shape then it had been before its Triforce was restored. The massive chasms that had torn the land into pieces had all but disappeared, monster sightings were increasingly rare, and there had been very few conflicts among the Lorulean people. The colorful fissures in the earth that marked the passageway between Hyrule and Lorule had completely vanished; the link between worlds was gone. Hilda understood that there was no way that she could ever see Link and Zelda, or any of the Seven Sages, ever again; they were beyond the reach of anybody in Lorule. But for the most part, she was happy.

Hilda stepped out of bed and into her favorite slippers, and walked briskly to the closet, opening the door and pulling out the purple-and-white dress she always wore for important occasions. And today was certainly an important occasion. She left the royal bedchamber and headed down the hall to get dressed, glancing once more at Ravio as he slept.

It was relatively early in the morning; the castle was still asleep. The soft light shone peacefully through the castle windows as Hilda made her way to her private section of the castle, where she prepared herself for each day. She liked to get up early, and she liked being independent; though she was aware that other monarchs might not agree. Not that she really cared, though. As she pulled off her nightgown, she mused about the other monarchs that were sure to exist in other worlds.

After she was dressed, she walked over to a massive mirror to do her makeup. It had become a ritual for her, an opportunity to reflect on herself and her responsibilities for the day. As she carefully applied her favorite shade of purple lipstick, she listed in her head the problems still facing Lorule, as she did every morning. It pleased her greatly to notice that the list gradually became shorter and shorter. Until recently, anyway. For the past few weeks, Lorule had been plagued with a problem that Hilda and Ravio, as well as Lorule's reformed government, couldn't seem to solve.

_The cult in Thieves' Town,_ Hilda thought to herself. _Oh, how I hate them._

The cult in Thieves' Town hadn't stopped recruiting even though Lorule had been healed and monsters were all but extinct in the populated areas of the kingdom. On the contrary, they'd taken in even more members, all of whom were given different masks. When asked questions about what the cult was, members would launch into the cult's clearly rehearsed speech about how one needed to "get saved" by becoming a monster and donning a mask; the cult members would then segue into their affirmation: "Mumbo jumbo, mumbo jumbo, mumbo jumbo…". Which, as far as Hilda could tell, was exactly what it sounded like.

Hilda finished her makeup and walked back down to the royal bedchamber. She pushed open the door and glanced inside, noticing with amusement that Ravio was still asleep. She walked over to the bed and poked Ravio a few times until he groaned in protest and swatted at the air around his head.

"Too tired…" he mumbled. "What time is it?"

Hilda laughed sweetly. "Time for you to wake up! Boundless energy is the key, isn't it?"

Ravio opened his eyes and sat up, looking at Hilda. "Very well, then! Morning, beautiful!" he laughed.

Hilda leaned forward, wrapping her arms around Ravio and pressing her purple-lipsticked mouth against his. He pulled her in close and kissed her back, running his hands across her shoulders.

Hilda stepped back with a smile. "Bet you're eager to get up now, aren't you?"

"Oh, shut up," responded Ravio playfully, although he did hop out of bed (somewhat eagerly) and march over to the closet. Hilda caught him eyeing his bunny suit with a look of longing.

"No," she said firmly. "You can't wear that. Today is too important."

"But who doesn't love a purple bunny suit?" Ravio said with a chuckle.

"You have a purple bunny problem," said Hilda decisively. "You're wearing purple bunny pajamas right now. Your personal symbol is a purple bunny. You marked all of the items you rented to Link with a purple bunny topper. If you had your way, you would dress like a purple bunny all the time. You even did when you went to Hyrule!"

"I love bunnies, especially purple ones," said Ravio with a shrug. "They're adorable, and they bring a little extra joy to the world. I wish there were more bunnies in Lorule."

With that, he tossed the bunny suit at Hilda. Surprised, she caught it out of the air, and when she lowered it away from her face, Ravio was standing an inch away from her. He grinned, kissing her again. She let the bunny suit drop to the floor as she kissed him too, softly and slowly. She didn't know how she could live without him.

"I love you more than I'd ever love any purple bunny," said Ravio, his lips against Hilda's.

"Well, that's very reassuring," said Hilda dryly as she placed her mouth against his yet again. "Fine, you can wear the bunny suit."

When they finally broke apart, Ravio's lips were smeared with Hilda's purple lipstick.

"You might want to wash that off," she said teasingly. "Or there's plenty more where it came from, if you're interested."

As interested as she knew he was (a feeling that she shared), they did have a genuinely important event to prepare for that day: a private conference with the Masked Elder, leader of the cult in Thieves' Town.


	2. The Conference

"Mumbo jumbo, mumbo jumbo, mumbo jumbo…"

"Shut UP!" screamed Princess Hilda. "By the goddesses, is that all you can say?"

The meeting with representatives of the Thieves' Town cult had dragged on for over an hour, and absolutely nothing had gotten done. Hilda and Ravio were exhausted from hearing the same nonsense repeated over and over. Beside them sat a squad of Lorulean soldiers, half of whom were asleep. A half dozen masked individuals sat at the table across from them.

"Do not give in to the corruption of thievery!" proclaimed the Masked Elder, his voice reverberating against the high ceilings of Thieves' Hideout.

"Well, that's very nice, but can we please get on with this?" said Ravio, rolling his eyes toward the ceiling.

"We are CORRUPT!" shrieked the Masked Elder. "DON THE MASK! GET SAVED!"

"I'm taking a nap," said Ravio, slouching over in his chair. "Wake me up if anything interesting happens."

"Mumbo jumbo, mumbo jumbo, mumbo jumbo…" enunciated the Masked Elder.

"Damn," groaned Hilda, resting her head in her hands.

The other cultists took up the call. "Mumbo jumbo, mumbo jumbo, mumbo jumbo…"

Ravio shifted in his chair, opening one eye a tiny bit and grinning at her. "If it makes you feel any better, I want to kill them all too."

The cultists didn't even notice Ravio; they were far too busy affirming their faith to their cult.

"Mumbo jumbo, mumbo jumbo, mumbo jumbo…"

Hilda leaped up, slamming her staff against the table like a gavel. The cultists fell silent.

"Under Lorule's new government, we support freedom of speech, religion…"

"Mumbo jumbo?" asked one of the cultists hopefully.

Hilda pointed her staff at him. "Not. Another. Word."

She settled back down into her chair and continued. "Freedom of speech, religion, assembly, as well as many other rights and privileges. You have broken no laws, unless you count your forced induction of three Lorulean citizens into your numbers. Which I do. Reports say they were dragged screaming inside Thieves' Hideout by a masked crowd. When they were next seen, they were wearing masks and proclaiming 'mumbo jumbo'. Care to explain any of that?"

"And so the plot THICKENS…" said Ravio, wiggling his fingers.

The cultists looked at each other, nodded, and huddled together, discussing in soft voices.

Hilda looked over at Ravio. "I think we may be able to get out of this."

The cultists finished their discussion and the Masked Elder stood up.

Hilda and Ravio leaned forward. "Yes?" asked Hilda eagerly.

The Masked Elder cleared his throat and began to speak.

"Mumbo jumbo, mumbo jumbo, mumbo jumbo, mumbo jumbo, mumbo jumbo, mumbo jumbo…"

Hilda screamed. Ravio hit his head against the table.

"That should be the only explanation you need," said the Masked Elder smoothly.

"Say what?" asked Ravio.

"It's coming…" hissed the Masked Elder.

The other cultists murmured as well. "It's coming…it's coming…it's coming."

"You must be _saved _if you are to survive it," the Masked Elder explained.

"Survive _what?" _cried Hilda. "If you know of any danger to Lorule, tell me! And don't you _dare_ say…"

"Mumbo jumbo, mumbo jumbo, mumbo jumbo…" proclaimed the cultists.

Ravio, apparently having had enough, sprang from his chair and grabbed the Masked Elder by the throat, pulling him in close. Hilda stared.

"Tell us what you know, or you could be arrested for withholding potentially valuable information concerning the safety of the Lorulean people," he whispered fiercely.

The Masked Elder laughed. "Mumbo jumbo, mumbo jumbo, mumbo jumbo…"

Ravio grabbed the Masked Elder's mask and tore it off, throwing it into a corner.

The room fell deadly silent. Hilda blinked, speechless, knowing only that she'd never seen a cultist without his mask. Unmasked, the Masked Elder was just a small, elderly man, not very threatening at all. He stared at Ravio, blinking, clearly frightened.

"The mask…" gasped the cultists. "The mask is gone! He is no longer saved! We must save him! We must save all of them!"

As one, the cultists reached out towards Hilda, Ravio, and the Masked Elder, crying, "Mumbo jumbo, mumbo jumbo, mumbo jumbo, mumbo jumbo…"

Without thinking, Hilda grabbed the former Masked Elder's right arm as Ravio took hold of his left. They charged away from the meeting table and out the door of Thieves' Hideout, dragging the old man with them. The cultists pursued them out the door and into Thieves' Town, reaching for them like zombies.

Hilda screamed as a particularly quick cultist made a grab for her. She knocked him away with her staff and doubled her pace. The three of them practically flew through Thieves' Town and raced outside of town, with the perplexed townspeople staring after them and then retreating into their homes in fright at the sight of the rampaging cultists. The cultists halted at the outskirts of Thieves' Town, clearly unwilling to leave town. But Hilda and Ravio, still with the Masked Elder in tow, didn't stop running until they had reached Lorule Castle. At the sight of them, the guards knelt, but Hilda didn't want to stop running until they were safely inside the gate. When they were, the guards shut the gate, clearly wondering what was happening.

In the safety of Lorule Castle's courtyard, Hilda and Ravio tossed the former Masked Elder to the ground, all of three of them breathing heavily. Hilda and Ravio sagged into each others' arms, afraid because of what had nearly happened to them.

"It's all right…" murmured Ravio, running his hand through Hilda's hair. "We're safe now…"

Hilda kissed him, because she needed the comfort, and it sounded like Ravio needed it too. The Masked Elder sat up, blinking.

"Excuse me," he said, quietly and politely. "But you don't understand what is happening. I am not what I was before. The masks…they change you, make you a slave to a greater evil. They…take control of you."

"So what is the _real_ story behind that cult?" asked Hilda warily.

"Could we go inside?" asked the old man timidly. "There's a lot I need to tell you."


	3. The Calm Before the Storm

Princess Hilda and Ravio brought the former Masked Elder inside Lorule Castle, ignoring the questioning looks from the soldiers. They escorted him to a private chamber and, locking the door so as not to be disturbed, encouraged him to sit down in one of the elaborately carved chairs.

"You are both so caring and trusting," he said graciously. "I can't thank you enough for giving me a chance to tell my story."

"I can still deliver you back to the cult if I don't believe you," said Hilda unemotionally, crossing her arms. "So what's your real name, by the way?"

The old man turned deathly pale. "When I'm finished, you'll be the ones thanking me," he said. "And I don't remember my real name. The mask I wore extended my lifespan; I'm much older than I look. Just call me the Elder. Now, please listen."

Intrigued, Hilda and Ravio sat down across from him. Their hands instinctively found each other under the table.

The Elder sighed. "Deep within Thieves' Hideout, which the cultists are using as their personal fortress, is something forbidden. Something dangerous. An object of unspeakable power to rival even that of the Triforce. It's hidden very well; even Link had no idea it was there when he traveled through Lorule to rescue the Sages."

"Go on," said Hilda slowly.

"The cultists worship this item as a god, which it may as well be," continued the Elder. "Perhaps you are familiar with it: Majora's Mask."

Was it Hilda's imagination, or did the windowpanes rattle at the sound of the name?

"Majora's Mask was used long ago by an ancient tribe," said the Elder, his eyes closed. "Many years later, the Hero of Time fought and defeated it. But that wasn't the end of it; it passed between dimensions and ended up in Lorule. It has a will of its own; it has been creating possession masks out of nothing, enslaving the people of Thieves' Town, and eventually all of Lorule, one by one."

Ravio blinked. "So what should we do?"

"Your army must lay siege to Thieves' Hideout," said the Elder. "Subdue and unmask everyone, and the cult will be at an end. As for Majora's Mask, it must be destroyed. But beware; it will fight back. Literally."

Silence filled the room, the loudest silence Hilda had ever heard. She leaned forward in her chair.

"How many of my troops would we need?" she asked.

"All of them," the Elder replied. "There are more cultists then you would believe, and they are not in control of themselves. They will fight to the death, and they are all armed."

Hilda sat in silence. The truth was, she was almost eager for the chance to fight for Lorule. She'd made such a huge mistake when she'd tried to destroy Hyrule; the memories of it still haunted her dreams at night. Oftentimes she would awaken in the middle of the night in tears, crying for forgiveness, and it would take a few kind words and maybe a kiss from Ravio to ease her back to sleep. A bit childish, perhaps, but she'd suffered more than most. She wanted to do what was right for a change.

Ravio, who had confessed that he still somewhat regretted abandoning Lorule and seeking out a hero in Hyrule rather than facing Yuga himself, apparently felt the same way. "All right then," he said to the Elder. "Would you advise attacking under cover of darkness?"

"No," said the Elder immediately. "Tomorrow morning would be best. The cultists are more powerful and bloodthirsty at night. They prowl the town in the moonlight, looking for people out alone so they can abduct them and force them to wear a possession mask, making them slaves to the cult and to Majora's Mask."

Hilda was shocked. She'd had no idea.

"How long have they been doing this to my people?" she raged. "I _will_ put a stop to this!"

"Damn right we will!" said Ravio with uncharacteristic forcefulness, slamming his fist against the table. "To hell with Majora's Mask, then."

Hilda turned to the Elder. "So here's what our strategy's going to be. Since you know the way through Thieves' Hideout, you lead the army, incapacitating and unmasking any cultists you see. Ravio and I will find Majora's Mask, which is…where exactly?"

"In the third corridor to the right, there is a false wall," explained the Elder. "You can break it without too much difficulty. Majora's Mask will be inside the hidden passageway."

"So Ravio and I will find Majora's Mask and destroy it," finished Hilda. "Sounds good."

She turned to the Elder. "Could you do me a favor and inform the army of our plans for the attack tomorrow morning? Ravio and I need to visit my private weapons locker."

Ravio frowned. "Your private _what?_"

Hilda laughed, leading him down the hall as the Elder headed in the opposite direction to speak with the commanders of the Lorulean army. She ran all the way back to her bedchamber, with Ravio struggling to keep up.

"I didn't know you had a private weapons locker," he said when they reached Hilda's bedchamber.

Hilda grinned. "There's still quite a bit you don't know about me, sweetie."

She crossed the room and opened a camouflaged cabinet in the corner. Inside was a large array of swords and knives.

"These are forged with Master Ore," she explained. "They're the finest and most valuable weapons in all of Lorule. I keep them hidden in case of emergencies."

"Wow," said Ravio, running his hand over a particularly ornate sword. "I think I like this one."

"They're technically yours too, you know," Hilda told him.

Ravio stopped examining the weapons, a frown creasing his face. "You know what?"

"What?" asked Hilda curiously.

Ravio turned toward her. "Even though we may all be going to our deaths tomorrow, I'm not afraid."

"Really, now," said Hilda smoothly, drawing closer to him. "Well, guess what? I'm not afraid either. I'm excited."

Ravio drew even closer to her, his eyes sparkling. "Well, at least we're in agreement, then. Neither of us are afraid."

Hilda laughed as their lips met, and Ravio sighed contentedly as they kissed, and neither of them were afraid.

Still wrapped in each others' arms, they staggered across the room and toppled onto the bed, and neither of them were afraid.

Breathing heavily, they snuggled even closer to each other, rolling beneath the sheets, and neither of them were afraid.

Ravio pulled Hilda's dress off, and she tugged his robes away, and neither of them were afraid.


	4. The Encounter

The Lorulean army marched through Thieves' Town slowly and solemnly. The townspeople, catching sight of the approaching soldiers, retreated into their homes and watched quietly through the windows. Leading Lorule's army were Princess Hilda, Ravio, and the Elder, debating the finer points of their strategy.

"Sunrise was only a few hours ago," said Ravio. "The cultists usually don't come out into town until about noon. It'll be perfectly safe for all of us to storm the front entrance to Thieves' Hideout and break it down."

"No," countered the Elder. "We need to send a smaller force ahead to distract them. They are crafty; Majora's Mask is guiding their movements, after all. I would be surprised if they didn't have scouts posted throughout town at all times. The cult owns Thieves' Town, and that means Majora's Mask owns Thieves' Town. We will need to be sneakier than they are. Now, there are guards protecting the we send a big army at them, the guards will sound the alarm. If we send only a few, the guards will believe they can deal with them alone."

"You've gotten us this far, so we'll do as you say," said Hilda to the Elder. Turning to one of the army captains, she commanded, "Send a defense-prepared squad up to the front entrance to the hideout. Tell the soldiers to make a big show of attacking."

As the captain jogged away to carry out her orders, Hilda turned to Ravio, only to find that he was already looking into her eyes.

"We're going to be all right," he said with certainty. "We've survived worse."

The Elder turned toward them, his old eyes filled with sadness.

"No, you haven't," he murmured.

Fear flooded through Hilda, but at the same time, a kind of resolve. She would not die today.

"Well, we'll survive _this_," she said, and kissed Ravio. He kissed her back, leaning into her, pulling her in close. She pressed herself against him, savoring his touch.

"I'll never leave you," he whispered to her. "I love you."

The Elder cleared his throat. "We have nearly arrived at Thieves' Hideout, so…"

Hilda laughed. "I love you too," she whispered to Ravio with a smile, stepping away from him and turning toward the intimidating gates of the hideout. A squad of soldiers was already engaged in a deadly crossfire of arrows with a team of cultist guards, yelling something about how there were certainly no reinforcements on the way. Their distraction was working, it seemed. The cultists weren't exactly difficult to mislead.

Hilda nodded, and several other soldiers pulled out their bows and shot the cultist guards down before they knew what was happening. The guards were out of the way, and no alarm had been sounded.

As she watched, a group of soldiers knocked the entrance to the ground with an enormous battering ram. The way into Thieves' Hideout was open. It was time.

"Advance into the hideout!" Hilda yelled, as the army began moving. "We will win this! We are strong enough!"

With Ravio and the Elder by her side, she ran into Thieves' Hideout. It was dark; much darker than she would have imagined. The walls seemed to hiss at them as they ran by.

As they rounded the first corner, they came across a group of clearly shocked cultists. As a squad of soldiers drew their weapons and charged, the cultists scrambled for swords, shields, and spears. The sounds of battle cries and clashing metal echoed against the dimly lit walls.

Whenever the troops came to a passageway, a group of soldiers would break off from the army and hurry down it, while the rest of the army continued down the main hallways. By the time Hilda, Ravio, and the Elder reached the site of the passage to Majora's Mask, the entire hideout was alive with fury and bloodlust. Swords clashed, shields broke, and the cries of the dying reverberated through the hallways.

"The time has come," said the Elder ominously, the trio stood before the false wall leading to Majora's Mask. "I am afraid that I will be of no use to you in the coming battle, but I pray for your victory."

"You've done more than enough," Ravio promised. "We wouldn't have known about any of this without you. Wait here; be safe."

Hilda stepped toward the Elder and hugged him. "Thank you," she murmured. She felt the old man stiffen in her arms, then relax.

"Don't be afraid..." he said to her. "Make _it _afraid."

Ravio and Hilda turned toward the false wall. They broke through it and sprinted down the corridor; Hilda carrying her staff and a large knife, Ravio wielding his favorite ornate sword and shield. They rounded a corner in the secret passageway and found themselves in a large room, comparable to the inside of a temple. Torches burned along the walls, and sheets of multicolored fabric decorated the room. A large altar stood at the far end of the room, with a glowing light emanating from it. As Hilda and Ravio approached it cautiously, something stirred behind it, and Majora's Mask appeared. Heart-shaped and multicolored, with spikes on its sides and glowing yellow-orange eyes, it hovered across the room towards them, its eyes shining.

"Hello!" shrieked Majora's Mask, advancing on Hilda and Ravio. "It is delightful to have you here! I so rarely get visitors-at least any who are in actual control of their minds! Usually its just those annoying cultists! And, damn them, they _are _annoying! I get so _tired _of having to listen to the same "mumbo jumbo" nonsense all day!"

"Go to hell," snapped Hilda, drawing her knife with her left hand while raising her staff with her right.

Ravio stepped into a fighting stance, his sword and shield at the ready. "You're no match for us."

Majora's Mask screamed with laughter. "Well, we'll never have to know that, will we? I've decided to make this confrontation a little more…fair! You wouldn't really fight me two on one, would you? Shouldn't I get an ally of my own? Well, guess what? I already have one at the ready! Maybe you've heard of him?"

"What are you talking about?" Hilda snapped.

"While I was drifting between worlds and dimensions, which eventually led me to Lorule, I came upon a place that you might call the 'gap between dimensions,'" responded Majora's Mask. "And it was in this gap between dimensions that I came across an old enemy of Hyrule, a remnant of the Era of the Hero of Time. An enemy exiled there for his failures. An enemy who I have managed to summon to Lorule, and who has agreed to aid me in this battle!"

"Who?" Ravio asked apprehensively. "You don't mean…"

"Ganon?" laughed Majora's Mask. "No, I'm afraid he's gone from Lorule forever, unfortunately. Unless someone can find a way to bring him back, which I suppose is possible. Regardless, this is someone who's a bit more elusive. A bit more mysterious. A bit more of a…phantom...in nature."

A portal opened next to Majora's Mask, and a figure stepped out and landed heavily on the floor. He was a tall, humanoid individual, wearing a skull mask and looking incredibly similar to the legendary Ganondorf, the King of the Gerudo and the conqueror of Hyrule. But when the figure hovered up next to Majora's Mask and summoned a trident from out of nowhere, Hilda and Ravio knew that this was no man.

"Phantom Ganon! Magnificent, isn't he?" proclaimed Majora's Mask. "He's a little angry for being condemned to the gap between dimensions after failing to kill Link. After all, he did manage to kill Saria, who was the Sage of the Forest at the time, and that should count for something. But you won't know about any of that, and it doesn't matter anyway. Ancient history by now!"

"Fine. Two on two it is, then," said Hilda calmly, staring at her enemies. "You'll _both_ burn in hell where you belong."

Princess Hilda and Ravio stood together on one side of the room; Majora's Mask and Phantom Ganon hovered in midair on the other side. As if commanded by an unspoken signal, the four warriors leaped toward each other, and the battle began.


	5. The Fight of Four

Princess Hilda swung her staff into the path of Phantom Ganon's trident as he dove toward her. Sparks flew as the weapons collided, and Phantom Ganon dropped to the ground. He stepped forward, slashing his trident at Hilda. She parried, spinning her staff with one hand as she slid nimbly to the side. They traded blows as they worked their way around the room.

Hilda could see Ravio dueling Majora's Mask; he deflected beams of energy that the mask shot at him as he struggled to get close enough to strike with his sword. Majora's Mask howled with delight as it drove Ravio back.

Hilda jabbed at Phantom Ganon's chest, but he knocked her staff away and kicked her in the stomach. Gasping, she staggered backwards as Phantom Ganon laid into her with blow after blow that she barely managed to deflect. She ducked low to the ground and slashed at Phantom Ganon's legs, but he leapt into the air and very nearly came down on her neck. She dodged again, retreating as he came after her.

As Hilda prepared to renew her attack, Majora's Mask changed its target and launched bolts of energy at her. She rolled to the side as Phantom Ganon charged at her, but Ravio intercepted him, saving Hilda's life. Phantom Ganon growled as he and Ravio began to duel, leaving Hilda alone with Majora's Mask.

Hilda pushed herself to her feet as Majora's Mask bore down on her. As the mask blasted rainbow-colored lightning from its eyes, she spun her staff in a figure-eight, knocking the attacks away.

"Pretty little princess, too dumb to quit!" shrieked the mask. "Why is this even worth it to you? Just _die_ already!"

Hilda jumped towards Majora's Mask, knocking it from the air and to the ground. She pinned it down as it blasted bolt after bolt of power at her, narrowly missing her. With a roar, the mask rose into the air, carrying Hilda with it. She smashed it with her staff again and again as it flew around the room, until the mask glowed red and suddenly came alive with intense heat.

Hilda screamed in agony, falling to the ground, her body feeling as if it were burning. She curled up on the ground, smoke rising from her dress. Majora's Mask screamed with delight, still glowing red.

"Oh, yes, it _hurts_, doesn't it?" it mocked sadistically. With a happy screech, it dove down to the floor and smashed into Hilda again, feeling like a superheated boulder. Hilda moaned, scrambling for her staff, but the mask came down hard on her hand. She screamed again, pressing her hand between her legs, her fingers raw and burned. Dimly, she saw Ravio still dueling Phantom Ganon. She'd have to get out of this one on her own.

_My knife!_ she remembered. Desperately, she reached for it beneath her dress as Majora's Mask flew towards her once more, this time smashing into her and staying there, pressing itself against her body.

The burning agony was unbearable, and Hilda thrashed, screaming, tears pouring down her cheeks, as the mask pressed itself against her like a branding iron while laughing uncontrollably. She finally got her hand on the hilt of her knife, and, pulling it out, she stabbed it into the mask's eye.

Majora's Mask shrieked unexpectedly, releasing Hilda and flying uncontrollably across the room into the wall, crashing to the floor. Hilda pulled herself to her feet and charged toward it as the mask launched a bolt of lightning from its eye, dislodging the knife.

Hilda grabbed the knife and stabbed it back in again, right through the eye of Majora's Mask. The mask shuddered one final time and fell silent, its glow fading.

Hilda struggled to her feet and stared at Majora's Mask, the sounds of Ravio and Phantom Ganon's battle echoing behind her. The knife through the mask's eye seemed to have incapacitated it, but how?

A cry from behind her caught her attention. Turning, she saw Phantom Ganon knocking Ravio to the ground, kicking his sword and shield away.

Hilda reacted without thinking. Her staff was in a corner, her knife was in Majora's Mask. She made use of the only weapon available to her.

She put on Majora's Mask, scooping it up from the floor and pressing it to her face, the hilt of the knife only a centimeter away from her eye. She was immediately assaulted by a sensation of power and invincibility, and she registered the mask's voice in her mind.

_A knife through the eye to temporarily shut me down, _it thought. _A good thought, really. But I'm still very much alive, so you'd better hope nobody removes that knife! _

_You're mine now,_ Hilda thought back. _I'll use you as I see fit._

All of this happened in an instant, and Hilda felt the mask's unbelievable power coursing through her body. She charged forward, extending her hands toward Phantom Ganon as he raised his trident to impale Ravio.

Bolts of multicolored lightning shot from her hands and into Phantom Ganon's body, sending him rocketing across the room and into the wall. Hilda kept up the attack, drawing on the full power of Majora's Mask as Ravio watched in disbelief.

Beams of power began launching toward Phantom Ganon from the rest of Hilda's body: her shoulders, her chest, her head. She felt like a star, like a glowing sphere of energy, and as Phantom Ganon writhed and thrashed, she felt unstoppable. And she loved it.

Phantom Ganon grew still, his spasms fading, and Hilda subconsciously registered that, powerful as he was, he had to be close to death by now, but it was beyond her power to stop now. Ravio stared in panic.

"Hilda!" he yelled. "He's finished! Take the mask off!"

Hilda wanted to do as he said; she wanted to, but she couldn't. Her euphoria vanished, replaced by fear, as she continued to unwillingly blast energy beams across the room.

She tried to speak, to cry out, to ask Ravio for help, but she wasn't in control of her actions anymore.

But Ravio understood, and, racing toward her, he reached for the mask to pull it away. Majora's Mask somehow sensed a threat, and, against Hilda's will, directed its attacks away from Phantom Ganon and into Ravio.

Ravio staggered away, dropping to his knees as the bolts of light burned him. Horror and panic filled Hilda, and she tried to stop, but she was absolutely incapable of controlling her actions.

Ravio looked up at her through the brilliant storm of multicolored light. "I love…you…" he whispered, as the energy overwhelmed him and he crumpled to the floor.

In shock, Hilda somehow found the strength to life her arms, trying to pull Majora's Mask away, as the lightning bolts she was emanating began to tear the room apart. She was able to open her mouth, trying desperately to say _something_, but the meaningless words that came out of her mouth were not her own.

"Mumbo…jumbo…"

Hilda had never felt panic like she felt at that moment, and it was that unthinkable surge of emotion that finally gave her the strength to rip Majora's Mask away and throw it into a corner, the knife somehow still in it.

"NO!" screamed Hilda, racing over to Ravio and falling to her knees beside him. "No, no, no…oh, Ravio, I'm so sorry…oh, please, please don't die…please don't…leave…I love you…"

Sobbing, she pulled him close to her and felt his heartbeat just as he drew in a rattling breath, his eyes still closed. Somehow, he was alive, but barely. He was burned all over, and his breaths came slow and uncertain.

Some part of Hilda understood that it would be better for Ravio if she ran and found help, but she didn't want to leave him. She was too afraid that he would die and she wouldn't be there to say goodbye. He'd absorbed less power than Phantom Ganon, but he was also significantly smaller.

When the Elder found them later, after the Lorulean army had secured the entire hideout, he saw Hilda kneeling on the floor, sobbing, next to Phantom Ganon's unconscious form and the hibernating Majora's Mask, with Ravio wrapped in her arms.


	6. The Helpless Days

The Lorulean soldiers had fashioned stretchers out of materials they'd found in Thieves' Hideout. They'd made enough for Ravio, Phantom Ganon, and all of the soldiers who were too injured to walk. Princess Hilda had been in favor of tossing Phantom Ganon off a cliff, but the Elder had convinced her against that.

"He might survive, Your Highness. We don't know what could happen," the Elder had argued. "As long as we have him with us, we're in control."

The Elder had volunteered to carry Majora's Mask; now that it was hibernating, it was essentially harmless as long as no one put it on. The army was marching back to Lorule Castle with their wounded and dead in tow. Hilda couldn't stop thinking about Ravio, about what she'd done. She looked behind her and saw a group of soldiers gently carrying Ravio on a stretcher. He was horribly burned, his skin scorched and torn. Behind him, another group of (slightly less gentle) soldiers carried Phantom Ganon on another stretcher. He was burned nearly as badly as Ravio was, and his breathing came slow and uncertain. Hilda turned to her left and saw the Elder next to her, solemnly carrying Majora's Mask, carefully avoiding the knife in its eye. Hilda stared at it and suddenly felt a desire to wear it, to put it on, to become one with it.

She shook her head, tears coming to her eyes. More than anything, she wanted to be rid of this. She wanted this to have never happened. She wanted Ravio back.

"Damn," she whispered, slowing to a stop and bowing her head, the tears coming fast. "I…"

The Elder, signaling to the soldiers to continue on ahead, stopped walking and took Hilda's hand. She sniffled.

"He loves you," the Elder told her.

Shadows clouded Hilda's vision. "He _loved_ me," she rasped. "He's _gone._"

The tears came faster and faster. She threw her head back, sobbing. "It was _me!_ It was all my fault! It's not _fair!" _

Burying her face in her hands, she wept.

The Elder embraced her gently. She let the tears come freely, and felt something unexpected.

She had trusted the Elder to plan the attack on Thieves' Hideout. But this was different. She had seen him in his darkest moments, under the control of a mask, lost and ignorant of who he was. And now he had seen her in _her_ darkest moments, crying over Ravio's fate. There was a trust, a bond that she hadn't felt between them before.

And in that moment, she knew that the Elder was something precious.

A friend.

"Not that it matters," she whispered to herself.

"Hmm?" asked the Elder.

"Nothing," said Hilda quickly, stepping away from him and continuing on. He followed. Hilda stared at Majora's Mask in his hands.

"I hate you," she said to it. "I _hate _you. _I hate you!"_

She spun around and stomped away, determined not to cry again. She didn't want to cry. She wanted Ravio.

By the time Hilda and the Elder arrived back home at Lorule Castle, the soldiers had already arrived and were bringing the wounded to the castle's hospital rooms. The sun was setting as Hilda stepped through the gate; the battle had taken all day. In the distance, Hilda heard the sounds of celebration, as the Lorulean citizens rejoiced at the defeat of the Thieves' Town cult.

"I'm going to take Majora's Mask to the vault," the Elder said, stepping up beside Hilda. "Phantom Ganon is being brought to the most secure dungeon the castle has, until an official trial and execution is scheduled. Is that acceptable, Your Highness?"

Hilda's hands shook. She didn't want the mask to go to the vault. She wanted it to be hers. She _needed _its power again. She desperately wanted to forget the world and…

Hilda shook her head violently, trying to clear it.

"Your Highness…?" the Elder frowned.

"I want it," gasped Hilda. "I need the mask. That and Ravio are all I can think about. I can feel it. It _knows_ me. It wants to be free…"

Hilda checked to make sure that the knife was secure in the mask's eye. It was.

"It is haunting you, Your Highness," said the Elder slowly. "No one should ever wield something of that much power. But it will pass."

Hilda laughed bitterly. "Just keep it away from me, and I should be fine."

She walked away. "I'm going to go see Ravio."

Hilda walked through Lorule Castle's beautiful hallways and corridors. Whenever she passed someone, they would mutter a careful and respectful greeting before looking away. They probably thought she was unstable.

Hilda stepped into the hospital room and walked past rows of recuperating soldiers, being sure to smile at them and wish them well, masking the unbearable heartache inside of her. When she saw Ravio in his hospital bed, now dressed in a white hospital robe like the soldiers, surrounded by healers, something inside of her broke.

She staggered toward him. The healers scattered to make room for her. She bent over Ravio, praying that he would awaken, but nothing happened save for his quiet breaths. Heartbroken, she leaned in, kissing him, pressing her mouth against his, trying to awaken him. He didn't move.

Stepping away, she murmured her thanks to the healers. As she backed away, out of the hospital room, she felt cold. Colder than she could ever imagine. She turned and ran down the hallways, away from the hospital room and out into the castle courtyard. She skidded to a stop, crashing to her knees and screaming with rage.

"Your Highness?"

The Elder approached her, on his way back from the vault after dropping of Majora's Mask and locking it away.

"Are you…"

He never got a chance to finish. Hilda's pain came to the surface, and with a terrible cry, she threw her hands out in front of her, screaming again. Fire burst forth from her fingers, scorching the grass, narrowly missing the Elder. His face blank with shock, he ducked behind a bush. But there was no need; the fire storm ended as quickly as it had begun. It had been long enough, though, for both of them to recognize it. It had been a bright, multicolored fire.

The fire of Majora's Mask.

Hilda lay on her back, feeling dizzy. The Elder took a step toward her.

"Your Highness…?"


	7. The Burning Nights

Hilda sat alone on her bed, the blankets wrapped around her, staring at the wall and shivering. Outside, thunder rumbled in the night sky and rain slammed against the large windowpanes.

She shook her head, trying to get rid of the voices echoing in her mind. She knew she wasn't crazy; it was simply a residual effect of using Majora's Mask. Just like the bolts of colorful fire that sometimes shot from her hands without her wanting them to. The mask itself was currently locked up in the vaults beneath Lorule Castle; sometimes, Hilda woke up in the middle of the night sweating and screaming, certain she had heard it shrieking in agony.

She hated her life. She hated what she had become. She wanted Ravio back. She hated herself for what she'd done to him.

He still hadn't woken up. The castle healers said he might be okay, but it was too soon to tell. It had been two weeks since the Lorulean Army stormed Thieves' Town to stop Majora's Mask and its ferocious minion Phantom Ganon. Two weeks of hell on earth for Princess Hilda.

She could barely stop thinking about Majora's Mask. Some days, the unthinkable urge to track it down and wear it once more still filled her. It terrified her. She'd spent a day or two locking herself in her room.

She would have thrown herself from the window of the highest tower, except for the fact that she still clung to the miserable hope that Ravio might still be able to recover.

It would have done no good for Lorule's people to know what had happened to their princess. They knew there had been an enormous fight in Thieves' Town and they knew that Hilda had been there. But that was all they knew. She made next to no public appearances; her representatives simply insisted that she was extremely busy.

Those inside the castle knew what she had become, however. They knew that she was an unstable maniac carrying the residual magic of a bloodthirsty mask. Most people around the castle seemed to be avoiding her when they good. Or maybe that was just in her ragged imagination.

Most days, the Elder felt like her only real friend. He was the only one who really understood what had happened to her.

Lightning flashed outside. Tears were running down Hilda's cheeks, she was hyperventilating, and she was almost certain she could hear distant screaming from someplace far away. No one else ever heard it; that probably meant it wasn't really there. The mask was said to have gone dormant due to the knife through its eye. But the screams sounded real enough to her.

Hilda was shaking violently. Seizures and spasms like this often overcame her now. Normal beings were not meant to use Majora's Mask, and the act of accidentally burning her own lover alive didn't really help much.

Hilda couldn't take it anymore. She threw back her head and screamed, the sound echoing throughout the massive royal bedroom. She rolled off the bed and crashed to the floor, sobbing.

The Elder threw open the door and raced into the room. He had taken up residence in one of the adjoining bedrooms; he had essentially become like a father to Hilda.

He gently picked her up, with surprising strength for such an old man, and held her close.

"Shh…" he murmured. "It's all right…"

Hilda was still shaking. "He's dead…" she moaned. "He's dead and I killed him! And it won't get out! The mask won't get out! Every second of the day, I can feel its power inside me! I'm going insane, I can't live like this!"

The Elder held her until she fell asleep, almost an hour later.

When she awoke the next morning and left her room, it was a grey and cloudy day; the rain still drizzled down. The massive windows created a gloomy and lonely effect as she walked through the darkened castle.

She found the Elder in his study. He looked up at her, his face filling with concern.

"Your Highness…" he said slowly. "You look terrible."

Hilda decided it wasn't necessary to voice her agreement. She felt extremely terrible.

"Take me to the dungeons," she said wearily. "I need to talk to Phantom Ganon."  
The Elder blinked. "Your Highness…we haven't even scheduled a trial yet…"

"I don't give a damn," rasped Hilda. "Please. I need to talk to him."

Wordlessly, the Elder led her down to the dungeons. They'd avoided telling Hilda where Phantom Ganon was being held; they were afraid she'd try to sneak down and murder him. Hilda supposed that they'd forgotten about those worries.

Phantom Ganon sat facing the wall within one of Lorule Castle's deepest, darkest dungeon cells. He was still badly burned, but the malevolent magic within him allowed him to naturally heal the dark magic wounds far faster than a good-hearted being like Ravio could.

The Elder got the keys from a guard and unlocked the door. "I'll just wait out here, Your Highness," he said.

Hilda kicked the door open and walked inside. Phantom Ganon looked up at her, his face curling into a sneer.

"Good morning, Princess," he said mockingly. "How's Ravio?"

Hilda slammed her fist into the wall, unable to hold back her anger in her fragile emotional state.

Phantom Ganon laughed. "Look at you!" he said with a grin. "The great Princess Hilda, reduced to a state like this!"

Hilda was on the verge of leaving and forgetting what she even came to ask.

Phantom Ganon's face changed suddenly. "For what it's worth?" he said quietly. "I'm sorry about Ravio."

This was so shocking that Hilda stood staring at him, her mouth hanging open.

"I…" was all she could manage.

Phantom Ganon noticed her surprise. "I'm not completely heartless, you know. I really do feel sorry for him. What must it be like?"

Hilda nodded slowly, surprised at this sudden kindness.

"Yes…" he mused. "What must it be like, for him to be separated from you for so long?"

Hilda was tearing up. She knew it was a horrible idea to open herself up emotionally like this, but she had become so unstable that there was no telling what might set her off these days.

"Separated from you…" Phantom Ganon said suddenly. He laughed cruelly. "I'm sure he misses the sex, but you're probably replaceable enough."

Hilda slammed her fist into the side of his head. He didn't even flinch.

"I am the shadow of the most powerful man who ever lived," he said with a sigh. "It took you and Ravio at your full strength to even stand up to me. Don't amuse me with your pathetic attempts to hurt me."

Hilda closed her eyes.

"We're done," she said, turning to leave.

Phantom Ganon cleared his throat. "I'm guessing you came to see me to find out about purging the mask's power from your body?"

Hilda stopped.

"I know how to do that," he continued. "I understand some of the theory behind it."

"I don't trust you," said Hilda immediately.

"Of course not!" said Phantom Ganon. "But if I help you, we could work out a deal where you release me from this hellhole of a dungeon. Sit down. We have a lot to talk about."


End file.
